Working Together
by uhohskettios
Summary: AU. Who does Haley go to when she has a problem she can't face alone? Why her most trusted companion of course!


**Well, since there aren't enough Mr. Waffle centered stories out there (or any actually) I decided to write up a little thing. Hopefully you'll find it somewhat funny. Thanks goes out to Kristin.  
I unfortunately do not own Mr. Waffles or Haley. Nor do I own any other thing that The WB could sue me for.**

**Working Together**

Eight year-old Haley sat on the floor of her room, arms crossed, lips pouting. She had a problem. A very big problem. The kind of problem that only someone older and wiser can fix. Upon first realizing her predicament Haley had searched high and low for her older sister. Taylor was nowhere to be found though, thus leading to Haley's current position.

_What can I do now?_ Haley pondered. Standing on her feet she walked back over to the root of her problem. Her pet fish, Goozie. He looked absolutely ravenous, poor little thing. Peering into the tank Haley tried to console the fish, knowing it must be in complete pain.

"It's okay Goozie. I'm here, I'm not going to let you die!" She traced the path Goozie was swimming on the glass of the tank. "I'm sorry I can't find your food." Tears brimmed in Haley's eyes. She hated to be starving. The hunger nagging constantly, the feeling of being empty. It was terribly wrong in her mind that her pet would have to suffer through such an agonizing time. No fish should ever have to endure such a thing! _Am I a bad fish owner? _The tears started to pour over onto her face at the sudden thought. If there was one thing in life Haley strived for, it was taking good care of Goozie.

Deciding that remaining here and just staring at her poor little fish wouldn't help any, she sought after a new course of action. _But what?_ Haley rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

_Aha! That was the solution! _Haley would go to the wisest, most intelligent person she knew. Why had she not thought of this before? She ran across the room, jumped onto her bed and hugged her teddy bear close to her chest.

"Mr. Waffles! Mr. Waffles! What am I going to do?" Haley started to sob, the intensity of the situation just now hitting home. "I've lost Goozie's food, and now I can't feed him! I'm going to starve him to death! He's to young to die!" She flung herself dramatically into her pillows. "I'll eat all my peas and carrots for the rest of my life if you help me, Mr. Waffles. I Promise!" Haley hooked her pinky around Mr. Waffles paw, in an attempt to seal the deal.

_"Haley." _Mr. Waffles spoke to her. _"You need to calm down, relax a bit."_

"Relax?" Haley shrieked. "How can I possibly relax in a crisis like this! My Best Friend in the whole wide world . . ." She paused for a second, "Besides you, I mean, is about to die! And it's all my fault!" Haley pounded her fists into the mattress, trying to get rid of some of her pent up aggravation.

_"Being upset isn't going to help the situation any, Haley." _Mr. Waffles spoke wisely. Haley hiccuped and sniffled.

"You're right, Mr. Waffles. Like always. But what am I going to do?" She layed down on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

_"Well, first of all, don't panic." _He advised. _"Goozie knows your a great caretaker of him. He trusts you. You have to believe that you won't let him down. Goozie believes it, I believe it, you need to believe it, Haley. You have never been anything but great to Goozie, and that won't stop now. So you have a small problem? It's nothing you and I can't take care of together."_ Haley nodded, knowing he was right yet again.

"So what do we do now?" Haley asked, her eyes wide with eager anticipation to solve their problem and cure Goozie's hunger. She could still see his sad face staring at her from across the room. _Poor Goozie._

_"First we should back track. When is the last time you remember having the package of food?"_ Haley's forehead wrinkled.

"Well, I remember having it the day before last. The lid had gotten stuck so I took it into the den so that Daddy could unstick it for me."

_"Let's go down there then!" _Mr. Waffles suggested.Haley grabbed up Mr. Waffles and ran down the stairs, skipping two at a time in the hurry to see if it was still there. She ran to the table where she remembered her Dad placing it after prying the lid off. It wasn't there.

"It's not here!" She ran around the room frantically, searching everywhere for it. Under the table, behind the couch cushions, she upturned huge piles of magazines, looked inside the stereo player, and every other plausible place that it could be."I can't find it Mr. Waffles!" She looked into his eyes, utter dismay in her expression.

_"Don't give up hope, Haley. Where did you go after your dad opened it for you?"_

"Ooh!" Haley ran upstairs to Taylor's room, positive that it had to be in there. That was the only other place she'd gone that day, before going to bed. Haley halted upon reaching the door to her older sisters sacred realm. No one was allowed to enter without the express permission of Queen Taylor. Not even herself, Princess Haley, or Duke Waffles. Haley hesitantly crept one socked foot into the land that she's heard dangerous and horror filled tales come from. When nothing came to chop off her foot, she slowly eased her other one forward and then again and again until she was a few feet inside the room. She gazed around her in pure wonderment. She was never allowed to go through Taylor's possessions, and there were so many things that she wanted to look at!

_"Haley," _Mr. Waffles warned. _"We're here to look for the food, and that only."_ Haley nodded, her eyes still entranced by the posters and accessories that filled her sisters room. She shook her head, trying to clear it and remember her mission. Finding Goozie's food. Haley stalked over toward Taylor's desk area, hoping that it wouldn't take to much searching through to find her treasure. Haley put Mr. Waffles onto the desk chair before sifting through tons of clothes that laid over where she recalled putting the container of food. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, her hand hit something round. She gasped! Could it be? Haley wrapped her hand around it, and pulled it out of the magnificent pile of laundry, wishing as hard as she possibly could. Unfurling her grasp, she let out an enthusiastic yell at the sight that greeted her.

"I found it! I found it Mr. Waffles!" She crushed the bear against her in a hug that nearly squeezed the stuffing right out of him.

_"I knew you would." _The loyal bear replied. Haley smiled at him.

"Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Waffles. I would be lost without you." She placed a kiss against his soft, furry cheek, then headed back to her room. She ran over to Goozie's tank.

"I've got it right here, Goozie! You won't be in pain much longer!" She assured her prized fish. She carefully pried the lid off of the container and carefully poured two small flakes into the palm over her hand. She set the bottle down, then picked up a flake with her fingers, holding it over the tank. She watch Goozie's gaze as he stared hungrily at the morsel of food. She dropped it and Goozie immediately swam forward, gulping it down. Haley giggled. She would have sworn he'd just licked his lips. He was a bit slower about eating the second flake, savouring it a bit longer.

_"He's fine now, Haley. Good job."_ Mr. Waffles congratulated her.

"Thank you, Mr. Waffles. I love you." She sat down in a chair, looking lovingly at her pet fish and her favorite teddy bear.

_"I love you too, Haley."_

**Thank you for reading, and I would love it if you would press that little button over there points and tell me what you thought.**_  
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